BEIRUT: Some 200 striking electricity contract workers blocked all entrances to the Electricite du Liban headquarters Monday, with one of them trying to light himself on fire in protest.
Security sources told The Daily Star the protesters had sealed off all four entry points to EDL, preventing employees from entering the premises.
Some protesters burned tires at the EDL headquarters in the Beirut neighborhood of Mar Mikhael.
The sources said a protester, identified as Amer Musa, sipped fuel and poured some on his body in an attempt to light himself on fire.
But Musa became nauseous after drinking fuel and was rushed a nearby hospital.
Riot police deployed outside EDL stood guard, preventing any confrontation between the protesters and employees.
EDL has called on striking workers to report to duty Monday. A similar call for attendance was issued by the service provider National Electric Utility, which warned the workers would face strict measures if they failed to show up for work Monday. NEU, which has a contract with EDL to perform maintenance work in south Lebanon and the southern part of Mount Lebanon, employs many of the striking workers.
The protesters have said they were ready for a showdown with their employer Monday, insisting they would not back down on their demand for full-time employment at EDL for all of the nearly 2,000 contract workers. EDL has only agreed to hire 897 of them.
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